Gargoyles of Soleanna
by Inspirational Spark
Summary: In the future, more than fifty years after the events of Sonic 06, Mobians are being persecuted relentlessly in the city of Soleanna...
1. The Gondolier

**This story was first written and posted two years ago, when I was twelve. Keep that in mind as you read the first few chapters; it'll get better when you get to the more recent chapters, I promise.**

Soleanna was busy. Thousands milled around in the plaza, seeking entertainment, food, or just a place to hang out. Many of the people were tourists, come to gawk at the city of water where the Three Heroes had long ago vanquished the evil sun god Solaris. Many of the buildings in the old part of the city had statues of the Three Heroes on narrow ledges meant for just this. The Three were the city's heroes, and some even prayed to their likenesses for redemption for minor sins and misdeeds instead of the god they had once wrongly worshipped. None quite remembered what the Three had looked like, as they were long gone, but some members of the esteemed Prower and Rose families were able to boast of their ancestors' close friendships and dealings with the Three.

The city still retained its waterways, and a small gondola wound its way through one of them with a cargo of tourists: A big male and two female humans, one adult and one about 12 years old. The twelve-year-old was wearing a sparkly blue blouse, cream leggings, and a wide pink headband, and was staring excitedly at the slow moving scenery. "Wow, Mom! This city is _so_ beautiful! I'm so glad we were able to come after all!"

The male, presumably the girl's father, rolled his eyes. "WHO was it that convinced your mom to agree to this?"

The girl shrank back. "I-I'm sorry! You're not mad, are you?"

"Humph."

The other lady wrapped her arm around the girl. '_It's okay, honey,'_ she signed. The girl nodded, then signed back. _'He just scares me, that's all.'_

The father glared. "You know I can't read Sign Language, so stop using it! It's like you're whispering behind my back!"

The girl's ears turned a little pink, but she sat up a little straighter. "It's not our fault Mom's got weak vocal chords! You knew that when you married her, right? You should've learned how to sign yourself, so you wouldn't make her talk when it hurts her!"

The man drew himself up, and the gondolier recognized the time for an intervention. "...And there's the border between the New and Old cities. If you look, you can tell the difference because of the little statues on the buildings of the Old City." A spark of interest in the young girl's eye didn't go unnoticed by the gondolier, and the father settled back in his seat, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms as he did so. The gondolier nodded, then began again. "It's a little story we have here that those statues move at night. They switch places when nobody's watching."

The woman turned to inspect the statues, and raised a questioning eyebrow at the gondolier.

"You're asking why the statues are of Mobians when everyone knows their kind is persecuted here, right?" the gondolier questioned. When the lady nodded, the gondolier tapped his chin. "I thought so. Let me see... In those days, the Enemy was trying to take over every city he could to turn our country of city-states into a Republic, and then a monarchy, with him at the head of it as ruler, of course. The Swift One, whose name is lost to time, had thwarted these plans time and time again, sometimes with the help of the Despairing One. At some point, the Enemy tried to take over this city and let loose its dormant god so he could control it to take over the country." The two females present gasped. "But luckily, the Swift One was visiting our city and was able to foil the Enemy's plans for the moment. However, in the future, the Shining One was being misled by the spirit of the evil god, who had been accidentally awakened by the Despairing One. The Shining One was led to believe that the cause of his world's disintegration was the Swift One, and was then dispatched through time to kill the so-called 'Iblis Trigger'. He almost succeeded in his mission, but the Swift One's friend, who had befriended the Shining One without knowing his purpose, bought time for the Swift One to get away with his life still intact. But the spirit of the sun god came back also and killed the Swift One. So all of the Swift One's friends, even the Despairing One, collected the Mystic Gems to wish the Swift One alive again. When the Swift One came to, he was in his so-called 'Super Form', and used some of his power to turn the other two into their 'Super Forms' also. Together they defeated the sun god, who was finally whole again, and restored peace to the land."

The girl gasped. "Mobians did all this? I was always told that they were no good animals!"

The man at the head of the gondola smiled sadly. "Yes, I bet you were. In actuality, they're very nice, smart, kind creatures. It's only because us humans let stupidity win over common sense that the Mobians are in exile."

The girl's father started. "Those dirty animals have no reason to provoke pity. Those foul critters live only to show off their fancy-shmancy 'powers' to all of us good folk. The lot of them should be put down! Don't you say another word to corrupt my daughter and wife. We're getting off now."

The girl gasped. "But Remus-!"

The father, now identified as Remus, stopped the gondola, forcefully picked up his wife and child in one burly arm, and jumped onto the bank of the river. The gondolier took off his red necktie and quickly tied it around the girl's wrist with a whispered, "Don't let your father see it!" -And then they were gone.


	2. The Meeting

Kierston was quizzical about the gondolier. Why had he given her his red necktie? What was so special about it? She sat up in her bed as she heard footsteps going past her door in their dusty, little-used summer home. That meant that Remus was finally going to bed, which in turn meant that she could take a closer look at the mysterious necktie. She turned it over, feeling the silky material slip through her hands like water before something rough slid past her hands. Grabbing the irritating piece of cloth, Kierston could tell that it was a piece of paper the gondolier must have slipped in. 'If you're reading this message, then please come see me at the Queen's Palace at the Old City. There's a map on the other side of this message. Many thanks," the girl read. She felt her pulse quicken. Quietly, she snuck out of bed. 'Good thing I forgot to change into pajamas,' she thought as she wrote a note to her mother telling her that she had to go somewhere and not to tell Remus that she had left the house without him knowing. She grabbed the message, the necktie, her parents' visitor's guidebook, and her shoes as she silently crept out the door.

As she reached the location she had been aiming for, Kierston gasped. The huge palace easily dwarfed even the largest building in the city! Looking at the guidebook, she saw the only differences between the palace when it was last used and the modern-day one was that old one had a large pool that had long since dried up, and that the modern day one was in ruins except for its high turrets, adorned with statues of the Three Heroes. While she was gawking, the gondolier from that morning walked up behind her. "So. You came," the man remarked. Kierston jumped, then turned around guiltily. "Yes," she answered. "I couldn't bear not knowing." The gondolier nodded. "Good," he affirmed. "Curiosity is a good thing. I thought you might be, so this is why I asked you to come here. But be warned- it's a little creepy the first time." The girl's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. Until the stone statues started moving. Then she screamed.


	3. The Heroes

The gondolier hurriedly clapped a hand over Kierston's mouth. "Shh. Remember, it's nighttime. Don't want to wake people up, now do we?"

She slowly shook her head, and he took his hand off of her mouth. "Good," he yawned as he watched the statues stretch out, obviously needing it after staying still for who knows how long. "I was afraid you would run away. You're obviously the person we need for the job, and I didn't want to frighten you away."

The girl raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What do you need me for? And how can I be sure you're not just trying to get me to rob a bank or something?"

The other laughed, a rich belly laugh that made Kierston instantaneously trust him. "No, that's not what we need you for. That's something that we'll get into later, after you're comfortable with us and we all know each other." He looked up, and gave some sort of signal to the cautious creatures on top of the building.

The statues, now fully flesh and blood as far as Kierston could see, nodded and jumped down from the palace roofs. The girl squeaked and held her eyes. She might not know these creatures, but she didn't want them to get crushed on the ground. The gondolier reached down and put a comforting hand on Kierston's shoulders.

"Don't worry. They'll be alright. They always are."

She looked up, and saw that he was right. The creatures each made a perfect landing, each one doing something special to personalize the fall. The statue of the Swift One appeared to have blue fur, pointed ears, and a short tail. His stomach had a small circle of skin, and he wore white gloves and red and white shoes with a golden buckle. When he jumped, he had done a few tricks, such as a few somersaults and an ankle touch, and ended the fall with a perfectly landed mid-air somersault that he made look easy. The statue of the Despairing One had jet-black fur with blood-red streaks and a tuft of snow-white fur on his chest. He wore white gloves also, though his had a red and black cuff, and his shoes looked like high powered, red and black hover skates. He skated down the side of the palace, not bothering to do any tricks, and flawlessly pulled to a halt beside the Swift One. The Shining One had silvery fur and a white, fluffy mane around his neck, and wore white gloves with a strange gold, black, and blue design on them. His shoes were black with gold details and blue cuffs, and he simply floated down to the ground next to the other two, surrounded by a blue light.

"So, Alessandro. Who's this with you?" the Swift One asked the gondolier, pointing to Kierston.

"Oh. Um, I'm Kierston," she stammered.

"Cool." The Swift One flashed her a thumbs up. He turned to Alessandro. "Does she know who we are?"

The gondolier chuckled softly. "Sort of. You'd each better introduce yourselves, though."

The Despairing One started first, obviously impatient. "I'm Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog." His deep voice, even whispering, rang in Kierston's ears.

"Pleased to meet you, um, Shadow," she cautiously greeted.

He nodded, momentarily pleased, and the Shining One stepped up. "Hi, I'm Silver," he smiled. "The Hedgehog, of course." His voice was a little high pitched, but sounded cultured.

Kierston nodded. "Pleased to meet you too, Silver."

And lastly, the Swift One. He winked. "Heya! Sonic's the name, speed's my game. I'm very pleased to have you with us, Kierston!"

She looked down. "Uh, thanks? I guess... But it's nice meeting you also, Sonic."

Alessandro nodded, still pleased. "So. You don't appear to be too nervous... You might very well be right for the job!"

The square in front of the palace suddenly darkened. A cloud passed over the moon.

"Whoops, that's my cue! Bye, you two! Tomorrow night?"

Before either Kierston or Alessandro could reply, a breeze blew past them, and with it, Shadow and Sonic. Silver followed soon enough after.

She looked up at the palace roof. The statues were back, leaving no indication that they had been flesh and blood a few seconds before. "..." Kierston didn't know quite what to say.

"They'll be back tomorrow night. And so will we, right?"

The slightly frightened girl nodded.

"Right. Then you'll need these." The gondolier bent down to Kierston's height and handed her another scarf, this one made of fine silk. "They'll let you have a full night's sleep, and it will serve our purposes well for that to happen. Start taking them tomorrow night. One per evening. Oh, and make sure to wear comfortable clothes to bed." He winked conspiratorially at her, then disappeared into the night, leaving Kierston to return to the hotel by herself.


	4. The Message

**And for the first time in two years, something of mine updates! I wouldn't count on this being followed with another one any time soon, since I wouldn't trust myself to finish a fic longer than a chapter if my life depended on it, but hey! You never know, right? And in the meantime, new chapter. **

**I know it doesn't mean much after such a long break, but I am still planning to finish this story, at some point. While we're all waiting for that to happen, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. You've certainly earned it. Thanks for sticking with this, and thanks to all the readers who've persuaded me to continue!**

Kierston turned the scarf over in her hands, rubbing the pads of her fingers over the light green fabric. It was tied at the ends to make a sort of bag, and she admired how cunningly the folds were draped. Anyone not actually holding the bag would just think it was a nice square of fabric – possibly a souvenir she picked up at one of the many stands lining the canals. Only she knew that it was more exciting than that.

And that was the problem. The young brunette sighed, gingerly easing herself under the quilted covers of her hotel bed. If it were only a fabric square, she could pack it in a bag and forget about it, along with the strange circumstances that led to its being received.

Come to think of it, didn't Alessandro say something when he gave it to her? 'Take one in the evening, and wear comfortable clothes,' Kierston remembered him saying. The memory-Alessandro winked at her just as the real one had, and, ignoring the way her face heated up, she grabbed his present off the nightstand where she had left it and untied the knots.

The scarf unfolded like a fairy spreading her wings after a long nap, and nestled gently within its creases sat a multitude of flower petals.

She picked one up incredulously and held it to the light, peering at it from all angles. It was soft to the touch, and when she brought it to her nose to sniff, Kierston was nearly overwhelmed by the disproportionately strong smell of dew.

There was also a folded slip of paper resting in the scarf, like the note that had led to this adventure in the first place. But as she critically eyed the paper, wondering if all this was even worth the yelling she'd be subjected to if Remus found out, she noticed that the paper this one was written on was a little thicker than the other note's. It felt more textured, too, although there were weird smooth lines scattered across its surface.

Kierston shook her head and bent over the note, tracing the heavy, cramped pencil marks with a fingernail as she read.

"'I know you don't have much reason to trust us yet, and getting caught up in all this has to be pretty strange for you. But please give us the benefit of the doubt for now, okay? I promise we'll explain later,'" she whispered, imagining she was saying the words along with Alessandro as he first wrote them. "'Tonight, get a good night's sleep, and think about whether or not you want to get wrapped up in something you don't even know about yet. There might not be much chance to back out later, and I don't want to pressure you into something that might be dangerous against your will. The Three and I will do the best we can to keep you safe and out of the line of fire.'" The brunette paused, heart thumping quietly in the soundless room. Did she want to do this? She didn't even know what she was getting into!

She kept reading.

"'When you've made your decision, leave a note tucked in Sonic's quills with your answer. (I'd say go for Shadow, but I don't think he'd find that as funny as the other two would.)'" She laughed ruefully, shaking her head. No, she didn't think the gruff, black hedgehog would appreciate that at all. "'Until then, enjoy your stay in Soleanna! You can leave the petals in the scarf for safekeeping, and wear it around your neck until you need one. It's not a lot, but it's the best I can do for now, and I have to admit, it makes a pretty nice accessory. Stay safe, okay?'"

"I will," Kierston whispered to the note, pressing it against a cheek. She rolled over and set it back in the scarf, then sat staring at the ceiling. What did she want to do about all this? Alessandro said that it would be dangerous, but if she agreed to help him and the Three Heroes, he also said they'd protect her. '_He said they'd __try_,' her thoughts reminded her.

She waved the notion off. '_They're __the Three Heroes_,' she mentally responded. '_Protecting people is what they do best, according to the legends. If it's going to be dangerous, the safest place is with them._'

Her mind had nothing to say to that. Kierston grinned to herself, pleased at reaching a conclusion so quickly. "It's settled, then," she whispered out loud. "I'll leave a note tomorrow." She reached out a hand and turned off the light.

As soon as the light went out, a strange glow caught her eye and she sat bolt upright. Her fingers grasped blindly for the source – the note! She held it up beneath her nose and grinned. The smooth lines she had found earlier were part of a hidden message written in glowing light!

"'Alessandro told us not to tell you anything in case we pressured you too much, but I wanted to say, I really look forward to working with you! Being stone for the better part of sixty-two years isn't fun, and you seem nice, even if you are a little shy. Not that I know you all that well yet or anything! But I'm hoping you'll start opening up around us once we get the chance to actually talk.'" Kierston blinked, then tucked her chin bashfully under the collar of her nightgown with a small squeak. One of the Heroes thought she seemed nice!

When the warm buzzing in her chest subsided, she lifted her head, tracing the loopy, glowing letters again. "'We might've saved the world a few times, but I promise, we're still fun to hang around with, okay? Looking forward to talking with you more, Silver. PS: You should totally leave your note in Shadow's quills. That'd be the funniest thing I've seen in years.'"

A slow smile crept across her face, and she giggled. Oh, this was going to be fun!


	5. The Concerned Mother

_Tap, tap._

Kierston dragged a lethargic fist over her eyes with a yawn. "Mm, Mom? What's up?" She rubbed at her eyelids, blinking them open just in time to catch the flurried motions of her mother's quick fingers.

'_Sorry if I woke you. I was expecting you to be up already,'_ her mom explained. _'I got your note. Don't worry, Remus doesn't suspect a thing. You were so quiet, I didn't even have to cover for you! But I am worried. Why are you suddenly sneaking behind our backs like this? Where did you go?'_

Kierston shook her head. "Sorry I worried you. I didn't think I'd be out that long," she truthfully confessed. "I, uh, met some new friends. I'd like to hang out with them while we're here, but they said it's hard to find time to spend with me except at night. I'm hoping I won't have to only meet them at night, but I don't know when they're free. I promise I'll let you know when I leave, though. Is that okay?"

Her mother made a quiet humming noise before beginning to sign again. '_I hope you won't be spending too much time out at night either. I'm not sure I like you wandering around the city by yourself... If you have to meet them at night, do you think you can have one of them meet you?'_

"I'll see what I can do," the young girl cautiously replied.

'_Alright. I guess I'll take what I can get.'_ April Theria shrugged her shoulders with a quiet grin. '_So, what are these new friends of yours like? Any boys I should worry about stealing my daughter away?'_

"Mo-om!" Kierston protested, pulling the pillow out from under her head to gently whack her mother with it. "I'm only twelve! You don't need to worry about **boys** yet!"

_'If you say so, dear.'_

Kierston stuck her head between her knees, face burning in mortification. "...they're all boys," she admitted.

She didn't even need to look up to know that her mother's delicate eyebrows would be raised in an expression somewhere between curiosity and triumph, her hands folded daintily in her lap.

"...One of them is our gondolier from yesterday," she continued. "I found out that his name is Alessandro. He looks a lot closer to my age when he's not reciting trivia about the city. He also gave me a pretty scarf." The brunette lifted her head to motion at the folded scarf on the dresser. "There are three others, too, but I don't know them very well yet. Sonic's the cheerful, athletic type, and I think Shadow is his brother or something. They look a lot alike. Shadow's grumpier than Sonic is, and I think he's the mature one. There's also Silver – I don't think he's related to the other two, but he acts kind of like a little brother. If I had to guess, I'd say he's friends with Sonic, and maybe looks up to Shadow. They all seem really close, though, like they've known each other for a long time." The young brunette sighed. "It's kind of scary, actually. I'd like to spend time with them, but they all seem to know each other so well, it's hard to imagine being a part of the group... They're all older than me, too, so I'm kind of afraid I'll end up being the little sister, you know? A tag along who's always bothering them."

A comforting hand settled on her back and began rubbing small circles. Kierston was surprised to find herself blinking away tears. _'Just be yourself, honey,'_ April signed, only somewhat slowed by the loss of one hand. _'They obviously like you well enough, or they wouldn't have given you that scarf you showed me. Or... hang on, you said the __gondolier__gave it to you, right?' _Her mother raised an eyebrow, lips quirking in an amused grin.

Kierston hit her with the pillow again. "It wasn't like that!" she hotly defended.

_'Oh, really? Then how was it?'_

April gazed on in fond amusement as her daughter stammered, then gave up, burying her reddened face between her knees again.


	6. The Boat Ride

Much to Kierston's dismay, finding the Queen's Palace wasn't nearly as easy as it had been last night. The airy, white-gray buildings of the New City that lined the canal, their pastel flags fluttering like her scarf in the slight sea breeze, all looked the same to her, and she couldn't remember whether the Old City was located east or west of the newer sections. If that wasn't bad enough, she had also managed to get turned around in the winding streets. Although she was glad she had remembered to bring the map of the city with her, it was pretty useless if she couldn't find where she was first.

"Hey! Missy!"

Kierston jumped, crinkling the map involuntarily as her hands clenched. "M-me?"

She slowly turned around, lowering the map. An older gondolier was waving at her from his gondola, and she pushed down an irrational flare of disappointment when she saw he wasn't Alessandro. "Better watch where you're going there, kiddo. You nearly walked yourself right into the canal!" The man chuckled, eyes twinkling behind his round glasses.

"Oh my gosh, really?" The young girl gasped, hand flying up over her mouth. "Thank you so much!"

He waved off her gratitude with an easy smile. "Eh, don't mention it. Always happy to help a lady." The man poled the small boat closer to the street and peered curiously at her neck. "Say... That scarf you've got. Where did you get it? It looks familiar."

"Oh, this?" Kierston stammered. "I- I got it from a, uh, a friend." She ran a finger over the folds almost involuntarily.

"Hm." The old gondolier stroked his slight beard. "Would that friend be, perhaps, a young man? Who happens to be a gondolier?"

She nodded, wordless.

"I thought so! Why, you must be the girl young Alessandro's taken such a shine to." He stuck out a hand, which Kierston tentatively shook. "I'm his grandfather, but please, call me Grandpa Feli. Everyone does."

"Oh. Um, alright, if you say so." Kierston smiled, beginning to feel more at ease.

Grandpa Feli grinned back. "So, what's going on with you and my grandson? He may be a tad excitable, but he usually isn't so bold as to give one of his special scarves to a lady right away."

The brunette flushed lightly. "Um... It's kind of complicated. I'm not really sure."

"I see." He leaned on the gondola's pole. "Well, I suppose you young people are entitled to your secrets. Us nosy old people don't have to know everything, even if we'd like to think we do." The old gondolier chuckled wryly. "But, oh, how rude of me! I've given you my name, but I haven't even thought to ask for yours! And that map you have... You're lost, huh, kiddo? I'll tell you what. I'm actually on break right now, so if you'll just tell me your name, young lady, I'll paddle you wherever you're going. And while I'm at it, I'll tell you a little about Alessandro."

Kierston hesitated, but eventually nodded. She made to step into the boat, unsure where to put her feet on the rocking wood of the little craft, but Grandpa Feli caught her hand and helped her over to the bench.

"There you go, missy, nice and gentle. Now, what's your name?"

"I'm Kierston," she said, just loud enough to be heard over the water below them. "Kierston Theria. And I'm trying to find the Queen's Palace? Thank you for offering to take me. I'm sorry to be so much trouble..."

The old gondolier laughed as he expertly pulled the gondola away from the street. "My, so polite! I can see why Alessandro's so taken with you. Don't worry yourself over being any trouble. You got yourself mighty turned around, though! This trip might take a little longer than I thought. Why do you want to go to the Queen's Palace, anyway?"

Kierston opened her mouth to answer, but he held up a hand in laughing protest. "No, no, don't mind me. I'm just curious. Your business is your business, and I did say I didn't need to know everything. Now, I did say I'd tell you about Alessandro... Hm, where to start?..." Grandpa Feli hummed a snippet of a strange melody under his breath, evidently trying to find the right words. Finally, he began.

"Alessandro... He's always been a bit of an odd child. I'd often catch him talking to thin air, but when I asked him about it, you know, expecting to hear about an imaginary friend or something, he'd just shrug at me. One day, I had sent him to the market to pick up some dinner, and he came back an hour late with a strange lady." He shook his head. "She was the second Mobian I'd ever seen. A hedgehog, I believe, with pink fur. She turned to _look_ at me as she came through the door, and it felt like she was staring straight into my soul, trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing there.

"Alessandro didn't seem to notice the tension. He bounced right up do me and explained that this was the lady he'd been talking to in the garden, and that she was going to teach him magic. Now, I was expecting her to laugh and deny that, but she just nodded. Apparently whatever she saw in me was good enough for her, because she stepped back and smiled at me. 'Your grandson has the talent,' she said, waving a hand at him. 'You don't. Someone in your family has got to, otherwise he wouldn't have any, but they aren't here, right? So I'll just have to teach him myself.' And she did! She'd come over every Thursday night and sit outside with him, doing who knows what. Eventually, she told me that her name was Amelia, and that she was a highly regarded seamstress as well as a magician, and that she'd like to take my grandson on as an apprentice in both. I said that, as long as he was fine with it, it was fine with me, so off he went to learn thread work."

Kierston lowered a hand and trailed it in the canal, watching the tiny waves that followed in its wake as she listened. "He knows how to do magic? And how to sew?"

"That's right," Grandpa Feli affirmed. "And weaving, as well. Who do you think made you that scarf you're wearing?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "I never really thought about it, I guess. I'll have to thank him properly the next time I see him."

"You don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do!" she protested, turning back to face him. "I didn't have the chance to thank him before, and now that I know this is something he made himself, it's even more important that I thank him. He must've put so much work into it... It'd be rude to just take it."

"If you say so." The old man shrugged with an easy smile. "Anyway, his apprenticeship went on for several years. He divided his time between learning the canals and how to properly scull a gondola and studying with Madame Amelia, with frequent breaks from both to come talk with me in my workshop. I'm a sculptor as well as a gondolier," he explained, poling the boat around a sharp curve that had Kierston tipping sideways until she was nearly horizontal. "It was only a year after he completed his apprenticeships when Madame Amelia passed away. She had been quite spry, for a seventy-four year old lady, but I heard she had come down with something and never quite managed to shake it off. Alessandro was inconsolable for weeks."

"That must've been really hard for him," Kierston murmured sympathetically.

"Oh, it was. It was around then that he began spending so much time at the Queen's Palace. The statues were there even then, and I think it comforted him to be around hedgehogs again, even if they were only stone." Grandpa Feli sighed. "Soon, he was spending nearly all his time there. I hardly ever saw him, those days. He came home one more time to grab some of the things Madame Amelia had left him, and then I didn't see him at all for a week. I'm not sure what he ate or where he slept, but he came home exactly a week after, still looking solemn, and only just on this side of death, but glowing with pride. 'Grandpa Feli, do you think you can do me a favor?' he asked me, and of course I said I'd do anything I could. But after all those years, the boy still surprised me. 'I want you to carve the Three Heroes,' he said. 'As many times as you can. Please, it's important.' And then he passed out! Well, I carried him up to bed, and I'll tell you, I got carving then and there."

Kierston blinked in confusion. "You mean, you carved all the statues everywhere? Because Alessandro asked you to? Aren't there laws about... I don't know, not being able to put up statues everywhere?"

He laughed, a warm chuckle that made the young brunette smile. "Yes, that was me. You've seen them around, have you? I should have guessed."

"Alessandro pointed them out," she answered. "They're very realistic."

"Yes, well, I did my best with the references Alessandro got me." He chuckled wryly. "I still don't know where he got those. Some magic trick he picked up from Madame Amelia, I suppose. But yes, I carved them to the best of my ability and presented them to the City Council as a gift. It was a close vote, but the final ballot was seven to four in favor of putting them up, and now they're everywhere. Sort of comforting, really."

"Yeah," Kierston agreed. "It's kind of strange to have them staring at you everywhere you go, but I feel a little safer knowing they're watching over me."

The gondola drifted silently up to the palace dock, and Grandpa Feli helped his grateful passenger out onto the cobble streets. "Well, there you are, missy Kierston, delivered safe and sound to the Palace just as I said. Did you enjoy the ride?"

"Yeah, it was great! I'm glad you offered to take me," she shyly responded, scuffing a toe on the irregular stones below. "Um..."

He gripped her chin gently, lifting it so he could meet her gaze. "Don't you worry about a thing, alright? You didn't cause me any trouble, and it was nice to have someone to talk to." Grandpa Feli stepped back into the boat with a grin and a wave. "I'll be seeing you 'round, right? If you really want to repay me for my time, bring a pastry of some kind and a story of your own to share."

The brunette set her chin. "Alright, I will," she called back to the departing gondola. "Good luck!"

"No, young lady, good luck to you," Grandpa Feli called back. "Stay safe, you hear?"

"I'll do my best!" Kierston waved until he was out of sight.

Then she turned to the Palace, eyeing it critically with expert eyes. Satisfied with what she found, she set to scaling the wall.


End file.
